Report: The full story behind Barcelona’s failed pursuit of PSG superstar in 2024

Report: The full story behind Barcelona’s failed pursuit of PSG superstar in 2024 FC Barcelona will be keen on maintaining their 100% winning record in all competitions this season as they take on Paris Saint-Germain tonight. It promises to be a nail-biting affair between two of the strongest teams in Europe right now, with PSG likely to pose by far the toughest challenge to an unbeaten Barcelona side. One of the players likely to cause trouble for the Barça defence is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. But the Georgian winger’s career trajectory could have looked very different tonight as he was close to joining Barcelona in 2024. Barcelona’s pursuit of Kvara in 2024 As revealed by SPORT , Barcelona made a genuine effort to land the Georgian, only for circumstances to conspire against them. Kvaratskhelia hasn’t had the best of seasons so far. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) The operation began in January 2024, with Barça hunting a game-changing left winger at the request of then-manager Xavi Hernandez. Direct contact was made with Kvaratskhelia’s agent, Mamuka Jugeli, who publicly admitted his client dreamed of playing in Spain, for either Barça or Real Madrid, but conceded the situation was hugely complicated. Reaching an agreement with the player himself was never the issue. His salary at Napoli was modest and the Italians’ proposed extension fell well short of his worth. The real stumbling block was Napoli, notoriously tough negotiators, who not only demanded €70 million but insisted on almost the entire fee upfront. For a club in Barcelona’s precarious financial state at the time, that made the deal a pipe dream. How the deal collapsed Contact resumed in April, with Barça asking for time, as any move hinged on a high-profile sale. Barcelona were unable to meet Napoli’s demands for Kvara. (Photo by Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images) Deco suspected Raphinha might depart for Saudi Arabia, and the club awaited the Brazilian’s decision. Then everything unravelled. Laporta parted ways with Xavi after a disappointing end to the campaign, and incoming boss Hansi Flick prioritised keeping his key men, convincing Raphinha to stay. With no exit to fund it, the Kvaratskhelia pursuit was dead. It proved a difficult, atypical window in which Barça landed only Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. Kvaratskhelia, meanwhile, forced his way out of Napoli, joining PSG in an €80 million deal in January 2025. Now tied to PSG and closing in on a renewal until 2031, his Blaugrana dream is long gone, and tonight he will look to cause all sorts of problems in the Catalan defence.